The need to reduce fuel consumption and emissions in vehicles is well known. Therefore, vehicles are being developed that reduce or completely eliminate reliance on internal combustion engines. Electrified vehicles are one type of vehicle currently being developed for this purpose. In general, electrified vehicles differ from conventional motor vehicles in that they are selectively driven by one or more battery powered electric machines. Conventional motor vehicles, by contrast, rely exclusively on the internal combustion engine to drive the vehicle.
Electrified vehicle powertrains are typically equipped with a high voltage battery pack having a plurality of battery cells that store electrical power for powering the electric machines. The battery cells must be charged prior to vehicle use. When parked, some electrified vehicles, such as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles or battery electric vehicles, may connect to an external power source to recharge the battery cells.
When the vehicle is taken off-plug, energy from the battery pack must be used to regulate the temperature of the battery cells and to operate the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system for conditioning the passenger cabin of the vehicle. This energy use reduces the range of the vehicle because part of the energy must be used for purposes other than vehicle propulsion.